Ruth Marcus writes for the Washington Post. In this opinion piece, she questions why the judge in the Palin – Johnson custody case did not seal the proceedings and documents:

As a journalist, I’m supposed to be in favor of maximum access to court documents. As a human being — and in particular as a mother — I have a hard time seeing why the custody fight between Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston ought to be on the public record for all to see. An Alaska judge has denied Palin’s request to keep the dispute under seal. How can this possibly be in the best interests of the child — their son, Tripp?

Johnston’s approach, it’s safe to say after his recent appearance in Playgirl, is to let it all hang out. His lawyers argued that “the courts are not refuges for the scions of the elite to obtain private dispensation of their legal matters,” and Johnston topped that off with a dig of his own at his former would-be mother-in-law.